"One of the main difficulties we came up against," admits project manager Peter Kägi, "was squeezing the engine into such a short wheelbase. But apart from wanting a low profile, the owner gave us a lot of freedom and basically told me to develop a vehicle that I would like to own." The result is a stylish bronze-and-white amphibious sports car that has nothing to do with the kind of workaday vehicles we associate with military use.

Powered by a 140-hp Mercedes turbo-diesel engine, on dry land the car works in two modes: rear-wheel drive with 6.69 inches of ground clearance, and four-wheel drive with a clearance of 17.32 inches. In the water, the wheels fold in under the body and a surface-piercing propeller drops down into a tunnel behind the gearbox. With seven automatic gears, the in-line transmission produces very high torque in low gear. Following tank tests with a scale model, predicted maximum speeds are 31 miles per hour in the water and 93 miles per hour on land. In keeping with the rest of the yacht, the bodywork is made entirely of pre-preg carbon fiber.

Bigger, Lighter, Faster